 "The law requires that Illinoisans be compensated for the work they perform, but
as these cases demonstrate, employers far too often attempt to cheat workers out
of wages and benefits they have earned," Madigan said. "I will continue to
prosecute employers who violate the law by failing to pay the full wages their
employees are due."Last year, Madigan's office collected $1,049,392 in wage
and benefit claims referred to her office by the Illinois Department of Labor
for violations of the Wage Payment and Collection Act, the Minimum Wage Law, and
the Prevailing Wage Act. Madigan's office initiated 473 new lawsuits in 2012 to
collect wages and penalties owed to Illinois workers.
Recent claims successfully litigated by Madigan's
office include:
-
Brightstar Healthcare in
Gurnee agreed to pay more than $118,000 after previously failing to pay
overtime wages owed to more than 20 employees.
-
Clarence Davids & Co. in
Matteson paid more than $68,000 to settle a prevailing wage claim.
-
Eckland Consultants Inc. in
Lincolnshire paid more than $44,000 for back pay and accrued vacation pay
for an employee under the Wage Payment and Collection Act.
-
Pedro Valdivia d/b/a V&A Landscaping in Elgin
agreed to pay more than $96,000 after previously failing to pay prevailing
wages to nine employees.
[to top of second column] |
"Our department works diligently to ensure thousands of Illinois
workers receive the wages they've earned," said Joseph Costigan,
director of the Illinois Department of Labor. "With the assistance
and support of the attorney general's office, we will continue our
joint effort to help workers recover owed wages and ensure a level
playing field for employers who abide by the law."
Madigan helped author an amendment to the Prevailing Wage Act,
effective Jan. 1, 2012, to increase enforcement, bring about greater
compliance and prevent fraud. The new law makes violations of the
Prevailing Wage Act a Class A misdemeanor and prohibits those
convicted of violating the act from working on taxpayer-funded
public projects for four years.
[Text from file received from the office
of
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan]
 |
